ShowEast to honor Malco Theatres with humanitarian award

Malco Theatres, Inc. will receive the 2014 Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award at this year’s ShowEast Convention. The award will be accepted by Stephen P. Lightman, president and CEO, on behalf of Malco as part of the Final Night Banquet and Awards Ceremony on Oct. 30. This also marks the official kickoff for a year's celebration of the circuit’s 100th anniversary.

The Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award was established in 1987 and has been presented to a leader in the industry each year that has distinguished him or herself in the philanthropic community.

“It is with great pride that we announce Malco Theatres as the 2014 recipient of the Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award,” stated Robert Sunshine, managing director of ShowEast. “Family-owned and operated for nearly 100 years, Malco has not only brought entertainment to the Southern United States, but has given back to the community through their numerous charitable endeavors.”

Malco Theatres is an amazing success story where family and community values have always prevailed. Started in 1915 by Morris A. Lightman, Sr., what began as one theatre in a rented storefront in Sheffield, Alabama, has become one of the most popular movie theatre chains in the Southern United States, which has always embraced the latest technology and trends. Malco’s current president and CEO, Stephen Lightman, is the third generation of Lightmans to run the company that has 33 theatre locations with over 345 screens in five states (including Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.)

Malco Theatres has always been a major presence in the communities in which they serve where human rights and charitable works have played a key role. In the early 1960s, during a time of segregation and racial tension in the South, Malco was the first theatre chain in Memphis to introduce integrated seating in their five Memphis theatres.

Since then, Malco has continued to serve the community and give back. Says Lightman, “Malco is unique in that it has been family-owned for almost 100 years and it is run with our family values and commitment to serve as its backbone. This is expressed not only in bringing quality entertainment to the public, but in raising money for the charities we believe in.”

ShowEast 2014 will take place Oct. 27-30, 2014 at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida. It will feature screenings of upcoming major holiday films, sponsored events, tinformative seminars and a trade show. An estimated 1,300 members of the motion picture industry are expected to attend.